YouTube TV lost another regional sports channel last week. SportsNet New York, which is more commonly known as SNY or the cable network that’s home to the Mets, will no longer be available on the streaming service from July 1.
YouTube said in a tweet that the reason why SNY is leaving the service is because it wasn’t able to reach a new agreement with the cable network. It added: “We’re open to continuing conversations with SNY [and] the MLB in the hope of restoring their content on YouTube TV!”
we unfortunately haven’t been able to reach a new agreement with SNY. we’re open to continuing conversations with SNY & the MLB in the hope of restoring their content on YouTube TV! you’ll still be able to watch Mets games on nationally televised channels like FOX, ESPN & TBS 📺June 26, 2023
The news is a blow to sports fans that subscribe to YouTube TV, as the service has slowly seen its sports offerings dwindle in recent years. At the start of 2023, MLB Network was axed from the streamer and in October 2020, 19 regional sports channels from Fox were removed.
If you’re wondering how to watch MLB, you can still stream it on several other services. And there are certain subscription packages, such as Sling TV, that still stream some regional sports channels from Fox Sports.
Where’s the best place to stream regional sports now?
We never considered YouTube TV as one of the best sports streaming sites and services, so this news isn’t particularly damaging to its regional sports offering. It does still have a sizable library for streaming national sports, including access to cable networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and ESPN.
But if you’re looking for more regional sports channels, then it’s worth considering streaming services like Fubo TV and Hulu with Live TV. Fubo TV added Bally Sports Regional Sports Network in February, allowing subscribers to pay an extra $10.99 to $13.99 a month depending on their ZIP code to access the games.
You can also access Bally Sports Networks through its own streaming service Bally Sports Plus or on DirecTV. Meanwhile, Hulu with Live TV offers subscribers access (again, depending on where they live) to local NBC channels like NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Boston.
Streaming sports has always been expensive to license because of rights and competition in the space appears to be heating up with new players looking to get in on the action. Netflix’s first live sports stream is set to be a celebrity golf match and while this isn’t likely to rival Apple TV Plus’ Major League Baseball or Paramount Plus’ Champions League football matches, it shows a growing interest in the area.